Just_Some_Young_Kid
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Posts posted by Just_Some_Young_Kid
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But, since I'm getting a new battery tomorrow, and if the battery is actually good, I'll squirt some oil in the cylinders and fire it up. I'm going to attempt a crankcase flush, which the manual says to idle the engine with fresh oil for about 10 minutes at 1000rpm. Then drain it and fill to the correct level.
I'll wait on the coolant flush until I get the hoses and new cap. I'm also waiting to start on the brakes until all those parts come in. I hope everything goes well and that the drums aren't too far gone, and that I can bleed the system correctly.
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Hi all, I went to my local NAPA this morning before work, and sure enough they had a battery for my car. It has been sitting on the shelf so long that it was under charged so I'm going back tomorrow morning with the old battery to exchange it, also getting a fan belt for $5! I really need to start going to NAPA more often, they always seem to have what I want.
I appreciate all the help here. Tomorrow or soon I'm going to take out all the floor insulation as it's all wet and probably causing the floor rust. The real problem is the leaking window seals which I need to get taken care of. What can I use in place of the insulation before I get some real stuff, or is this insulation easy to find? It needs taken care of either way now that its covered from the rain nicely.
I'll have to look around for a nice welder since I only have the cheap Harbor Freight mig welder. I haven't checked the rear floor pans but they look okay from underneath.
Thanks JBP for the input, I know that the car does have seat covers on it now, I'm kind of afraid to take them off and see what's underneath for now.
As for the battery situation, I'll see how a NAPA battery is for now, if I don't have any luck then I'll try Interstate, because I know the Optima batteries are expensive, but nice.
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I need to stay on top of these replies, lol.
Looks like there's quite a lot of Interstate battery dealers around here, there's also a really good battery shop called Rexx Battery here in Springfield, and multiple farm stores around. I'm sure I'll find a good battery soon.
As for the paint and VIN code Ben, thanks for clearing that up for me. I guess the car has been fully repainted at some point since the tag is painted over, would be cool to get the factory original paint back on it some day.
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Thank you 55er for the battery information, my napa is closed today for memorial day, I'll have to go when they open at 7 so I can go before work. I went to o'Reillys since they were open today but no luck.
Thank you Aaron for looking up the VIN, it still looks like the green interior but the gray looks long gone.
Thanks Buicknutty, it did crank slow but I think it's just because the battery is nuked. It took another battery and a jump pack to crank it over. As for the oiling, I have a little oil pistol I'll use to squirt some down the spark plug holes.
1953mack, you're saying that the VIN tag doesn't belong to this car at all, considering the last digit is a 4? Is the door tag supposed to be the same color as the body? And I'm not too sure on the paint question, it doesn't look like there's anything under it, but the inside of the trunk does look kind of grayish. The roof I can tell has been sprayed, there's remnants of black underneath it, but it still isn't the shell gray color.
And lastly pfloro, the brakes are the first thing on my list, besides cleaning it and making it look decent first so I have a little more motivation. I plan on replacing and renewing everything related with the brakes, so that means new nycop brake lines, new hoses, new wheel cylinders, new shoes and hardware, and I'll see if I can get away with turning the drums since I have a lathe available. I'll also see if I can rebuild the master cylinder since I assume they aren't exactly available. Also I'm thinking now I wouldn't drive it EVERY day, maybe just once or twice a week
I will tell you all that I'm getting a little nervous, since the more I look the more body rust I find. The floor is rusted through underneath the carpet on the driver footwell, the trunk has a few holes in it, and the door jambs all have a bit of rust. I'm nervous because I've never repaired rust and have little experience welding. I just hope I can do it myself or that its not too expensive to repair.
The good thing is that the under side isn't too rusty, the frame is good and body mounts are good as well as most of the body, except the spots mentioned above.
I'm also wondering what kind of material is under the carpets and where I can get it. It's kind of thick insulation, but it doesn't quite look like the insulation used under dashes and carpets in cars today. If its possible, I'd like to find a big sheet of it in bulk so I can cut it to size.
Thanks for all the help everyone, it's still going to be a long process to get it driving properly.
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I also need some of those for my 53 special, on both sides. I don't mind that much if its not original, or original looking, so would you really be able to use something like dryer vent tubing?
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1 hour ago, Ben Bruce aka First Born said:
Happy for you, guy.
Do we just keep refering to you as kid? What part of the country are you in?
The slow turning is probably NOT the fault of the starter. Get that new battery. Get new battery cable of at least oo in size. As big or bigger than your thumb. If the present ground cable is braided, about one inch wide, it MAY be OK. Clean it real good. At the engine end too.
Ben
My name is Kevin, just call me Kev. I'm 24 and live in central Illinois.
The battery is something like I've never seen. 3 cells, its about 2 feet long and narrow. I believe the cable was pretty big but I'll check out everything tomorrow and where to get a battery like that. The ground strap is probably okay since it's almost exactly as you described it.
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For all that didn't see, I've created a new thread on fixing the Buick, thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it.
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As of now, the things that work are:
-All exterior lights
-Gauges
-Horn
-Engine
-Transmission (as far as I know, moved in drive and reverse while running)
-All doors open and close nicely, and lock
-Hood and trunk both latch nicely
Things that don't work are:
-Brakes (big deal, pedal goes to the floor)
Suspension (at least one rear link on shock is disconnected, pretty bouncy)
-Passenger interior air vent
-Parking brake
-Starter (works, just turns over very slow)
-Battery
Things that I'd like to get fixed, besides the obvious brakes and suspension, are:
-Front passenger and both rear smoker windows, which are there but somewhat cracked
-All window and door seals
-Trunk seal
-Rust (the ultimate battle)
-Tires
-Play in steering
I'm sure I'll find more things, but that's all I can think of at the moment.
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Hello again everyone! As some of you know, I was on the fence for quite some time about getting this car, but as of today it was purchased and put in a place where I can work on it properly. Outside but still.
If you all don't mind, I'd like to start this thread so I can get some help and advice, and show you all my progress along the way. I know it doesn't look like much now, but I'm sure I can get it looking decent and running good with a lot of time and a little help.
In the meantime, here are some pictures, and the body tags. Hopefully someone can help me decode them.
I know that it's a 1953 Buick Model 41D Special, but that's about it.
Thank you all for helping me decide, now the real journey begins!
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Also, I'll get a picture of the VIN tag and firewall tag tomorrow, maybe someone can decode it for me. I think it would be interesting to see.
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27 minutes ago, Aaron65 said:
Yes, Buicks of this era had the main heater core under the seat. There's also a defroster core in the "heater" box under the dash; when you add in the water-cooler on the Dynaflow, you're looking at about 2 million feet of heater hose.
I don't have my underseat heater hooked up because I don't drive my car when it's below freezing, and the defroster takes the chill off on a cool morning.
That's a very interesting heater setup, I guess this is when cars were designed for more comfort than safety and sportiness.
The hoses actually look and feel good, but I think I'm going to replace them anyway, 2 bucks a foot for line. I might even consider going your route and not have it hooked up at all, save the headaches.
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21 minutes ago, retirednow said:
Congratulations! 👍👍👍
Thanks!
I found out after looking at it this time that it has a bit more rust than I thought, but I'm sure I can do something about it.
All the lights, turn signals, and gauges work. Defrost vents and outside vents also work, didn't check the heater. I also noticed this time that it has some type of floor heater under the front seat? Can anyone tell me anything about that?
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Well she's loaded up on the trailer, the owner was nice enough to tow it home for me but it will have to be tomorrow. I'll start a new post in the "me and my buick" thread
I appreciate all the help on deciding, I think I'll have fun with her.
By the way, she runs and drives! Owner didn't want to sell me a car that isn't running. Got some blow by from the motor though, fogged up through the open head.
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6 minutes ago, Joseph P. Indusi said:
All of the above is good advice. I have a 53 Special 2 door hardtop with power steering that now has 67,000 original miles. It is happy at around 60 MPH but can go to 65 OK. I won't repeat what the others have stated except that you should change the oil and filter and put in Shell Rotella 10W-30 or 15W-40 and warm up the engine. Follow the procedure in the 52 shop manual and adjust the valves even though they are hydraulic. When you are done when you start up the engine it will likely run rough as the lifters fill up with oil and then it will smooth out and assuming all else is good, it will idle very nicely.
I run whitewall Diamond Back radials on my Buick because they are safer for stopping and for handling. Buy a heavy duty 160 degree thermostat and flush the cooling system. The heavy duty thermostats have a larger opening when fully opened and these type work best on these engines. Be sure you have heavy battery cables of at least "0" or "00" gauge with clean connections at the battery, the ground and the starter solenoid. It goes without saying that the brakes have to be in good working order. Post on this forum if you need help or have any questions.
Good luck and enjoy it for what it is and the era it represents.
Joe, BCa 33493
Thank you for the advice Joseph
I already plan to flush out the engine with some fresh oil once I get it running. I plan to rebuild the carburetor with a kit, I have an ultrasonic cleaner at work I can stick it in too. I also plan to fully flush the cooling system and put in a heavy duty fail safe 160 thermostat with new hoses. Otherwise, "the works". Not sure about the transmission yet or if I need to change the oil, but I know it actually holds its oil. As far as the brakes go I have rebuild kits and new parts coming.
Is there any other small specific common issues I should know about beforehand? Engine, electrical, interior, etc.? Will I be able to use a phone charger or anything in the power outlet if it's still 6v?
Thanks in advance
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8 hours ago, Jetneo said:
I’m drove a 54 Special Convertible as my only car for 10 years in the ‘80s.
I was told to add lead additive to every tank (I bought it at Union76) if the engine is original. I was also told to use NON-DETERGENT oil, so living in Los Angeles I carried a case of Quaker State 30 weight non-detergent, suitable for all occasions! My Buick, Fred, never let me down or stranded. But I remember saying that I didn’t actually accelerate, I put in a requisition to accelerate.
The brakes hinged on a single hose. If that hose failed, all you had was the emergency brake. Twice, I drove Fred 8 miles at 6am without ANY brakes to the brake mechanic. I just coasted at idle speed and went when there was no traffic. Why? I was stupid and never trusted tow trucks to hitch it correctly, frame not bumper, and I was trying to save money! Good times! I could go on and on. After30 years Fred was sold to a childhood friend who spent $100,000 on a complete “original” restoration. I miss the old Fred. Named after Fred Astaire so I wouldn’t feel so bad spending the money to keep him going. I got a lot of joy and attention driving Fred. When I couldn’t take the fumes any more I bought a Honda.
Thanks for the story Jet, what are the benefits of an non-detergent oil? And I believe the lead additive is for the valve seats right?
And as for the Honda comment, I used to have an old 5 speed Civic that I'm sure put more horsepower to the ground than some of these old cars, especially the straight 8, and I was getting 40mpg.
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24 minutes ago, Aaron65 said:
No need for special oil (in my opinion). You may want to prime the oiling system by removing the distributor and using a drill (I just chuck up a large flat screwdriver without a handle or something similar). Regular old 80W90 GL5 gear oil is fine for the differential.
Will do, thanks for the suggestion. And thank God I don't have to use liquid gold gear oil, lol.
I didn't see your edit there, that's good information. Now I know what to look for if there's an oiling problem.
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Oh another question while I'm thinking about it, the Buick shop manual says to only run Buick Factory Hypoid Gear Lubricant in the rear diff. I wasn't sure how true this is and curious what you all run. I'm just wondering if I can use regular ol gear oil.
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20 minutes ago, Aaron65 said:
I wouldn't bother with fuel additives. I use Shell Rotella T4 10W-30 in all my old cars with no extra additives (other than an occasional half bottle of Rislone to help quiet down a ticking lifter). You probably should count on replacing all three brake hoses, all four wheel cylinders, and perhaps the master cylinder. You may be able to get away with honing the cylinders and installing rebuild kits, but I wouldn't count on it. There's no need to change to a 12V system in my opinion. Make sure to use heavy gauge battery cables and you should be fine unless you're driving in 0 degree weather. You may want to consider cleaning and repacking front AND rear wheel bearings and replacing those seals at some point early on. Then you should be in pretty good shape to see what pops up next!
Things will pop up on any car that's been sitting a long time, so be ready for anything, at least for awhile.
https://www.teambuick.com/reference/library/52_shop/index.php
Here's the service manual for you to download; you want the '52 manual because the '53 is just a supplement for upgrades (mostly V8 stuff).
P.S. I can tell that the valves are adjusted wrong on that engine. Some are turned way farther down than the others. Chances are that some of the lifters are no longer pumping up. Driving the car for awhile might help, but you may want to be prepared to change them or clean them. They are very expensive, so you'd want to try cleaning first if it comes to that. At the very least, you'll have to do a valve adjustment, which is easy. I can explain it to you when the time comes if you want.
Thanks for the reply Aaron
I like to think I'm pretty good at scoping out what a car needs just by looking at it, so I have a list of parts and things to do already put together; new brake lines, master rebuild, new wheel cylinders, I can even go to my old shop to turn the drums and put on tires with their fancy machine, I'm sure they won't mind. Of course coolant hoses, plugs, wires and cap, fluids, etc. along with everything else.
As for the manual, I actually got my hands on a paper shop manual ahead of time since I prefer reading paper manuals over looking at my phone or laptop, but thank you for the link, I might just use it anyway.
And for the oil, should I atleast run any special oil to help the lifters pump up and start working properly, if that's the case in this engine? And could you tell me off hand if there's a clearance spec for the valves or is it just by feel, I haven't got that far in the manual yet.
Again thanks for the info, I appreciate it.
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1 minute ago, avgwarhawk said:
There is a saying around here. They are only original once. She is all original down to the fading paint. All the dents, scratches and worts tell her story. And her story continues with you. Create a new post in the Me and My Buick forum after you pick her up. Let's us know what you are tinkering on
Enough said.
Will do on the new post, I'll keep everyone updated, lots of work to be done on her.
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I was thinking the same thing, get the car mechanically sound and drive it, worry about the paint later. Good idea on the chrome polish, I'll have to try that. Although the other thing I'm worried about is window seals, they aren't looking too good either. I also need to find some door and trunk seals, and I would be okay with the generic adhesive backed rubber seals, but any help on that would be appreciated.
I also wanted to ask about fuel additives. Would I have to use lead substitute at every gas stop or occasionally? And oil, I know probably conventional petroleum oil, is there any certain type for older engines? I saw somewhere that motorcycle oil is good for them, which would be good since I work at a motorcycle shop.
Another thing, I hope it doesn't offend anyone that I'd rather use radials over bias tires, just because I know radials ride better and are more readily available, also they're cheaper, lol. I'm not looking to fully restore it just yet, I just want to drive it. That's what this thread is about after all.
If it's in good condition by September, and if they haven't canceled it like last year, you better believe I'm taking it to the route 66 car show in Springfield IL, if anyone would like to come see the car and rub off some of their wisdom on me. I'd like to see some other Buicks as well.
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Again, I appreciate all the responses and help, you all have great suggestions. Can't thank you guys enough. Sorry for the slow responses as I have a full time job.
I've decided I want to buy the car this Sunday, I already have the money set aside for it.
As far as the appearance goes, wouldn't it be a bit disrespectful to the Buick guys to keep it as is? It's mostly just surface rust, the only places its rusted through is a tiny spot above the right rear wheel and the spot you can see right behind the headlight housing. Again I have little experience with body work but would at least like to fill in the holes before they get worse.
In the mean time, here's a few more pictures of her, and yes it does have the valve cover.
And Ben, thank you for the offer, I might have to take you up on that for some quick advice.
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Here are some pictures I took the last time I saw it, I have a lot more.
I'm not worried about the paint being show car quality, just a rough coat would be enough for me and this car, and that's exactly what I would do with it is drive it once or twice a week.
Thank you for giving me the scoop on finding old cars, I would be fine with any other American classic, as long as they dont top out at 50.
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3 minutes ago, The 55er said:
Define classic car. Having a classic car on a budget might be possible but is highly unlikely. You might think the 53 Buick is a steal but there's definitely a reason why the person is selling it for only $2000. Quality paint and body work today is very expensive.
I apologize, I know the term "budget" has a different meaning to everyone. This might seem low, but 7 to 10k is about the highest I can go, I'm far from being retired so money is more of an issue for me. Its either this or another cheap motorcycle, lol. I'm definitely willing to learn how to do paint and body work myself, as I dont have the means to fully restore anything.
Classic car, to me anyway, is a land yacht with a nice open interior, long bench seats, maybe some lap belts, and can't forget the smokers windows. Something to just cruise and look cool while doing it, not to race around corners or run at top speed all the time.
Thanks for the reply!
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Sorry everyone, it's been a long day at work, but thank you all who responded, I appreciate it.
So I know it's an antique and should be driven like how it was back in the day, and I'm guessing it's on the line of not being able to drive everywhere. I'm sure it could do it, it just sounds like it wouldn't do it confidently. I know it makes sense to only drive it maybe once a week or so, and yes I do live in the rust belt but I can easily store it over the winter.
For anyone wondering, I am a mechanic, work on both cars and bikes, and thought this Buick would be a fun project car. Again, it's got the straight 8, owner said the valves need adjusted but that it ran and drove when parked at least a year ago, just needs a "tune up" (whatever that would entail) and some brake work since the pedal goes to the floor. No power brakes or steering, needs some minor body work but a major paint job.
The redeeming quality is that the interior is all original and all there, complete with the "Sonomatic" AM radio and the B-U-I-C-K preset buttons, engine and transmission is all there even with the washer fluid jar, no rust on the frame, just surface rust on the body but none on the body mounts, even the trunk with the original carpet and spare tire. All glass is original, clean and clear. 44,948 miles.
I was only interested because it's a steal, $2000!
However, the more I think about it, the less sense it makes to invest money and time into this particular car. I think it would make more sense for a more desirable car, but I've had the classic car itch ever since I fixed up my grandma's 64 Thunderbird so we could sell it for her, it was a real creampuff. The only thing stopping me is the paint and body, as I dont have much experience in body work at all besides replacing bumpers and fenders at a dealership.
So my new question is, is it possible to have a classic car on a budget? I know it costs a lot but I figure I can do most of the work myself. Is this a question for another forum? Again, thank you for all your helpful responses!
I don't have my underseat heater hooked up because I don't drive my car when it's below freezing, and the defroster takes the chill off on a cool morning. 
Fixing the 53 Special
in Buick - Post War
Posted
Hi Frank, glad to know I have something that someone likes. Maybe you could help me with my next question.
The fuel line coming from the tank that goes to the pump is a hard line except right next to the engine, where there's a small section, a few inches long, of flexible hose. I was thinking of just using brake line for the fuel line and using the original fitting to the pump.
My question is, where can I find this flexible hose that is especially for fuel? It needs to have a fitting on each end, and I know I can't use brake hose. Do I need to make one or can I find a cheap one somewhere?
I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to make one, I'm just curious.